♫ Kevz ♫
I woke up late so I was late for my first day at work. When I arrived, they were all huddled on Kale’s table while he was sobbing. But even if I know the reason, I pretended to be innocent.
“Sorry, late,” I announced and Homme turned to look at me. Drew, on the other hand, slumped on the swivel chair, cupping his face with both hands.
“When did she leave?” Kellen asked.
“I don’t know, maybe last night or this morning. It was my mom who told me she left because of an offer in France,” Kale responded in between sniffs.
“An offer? From whom? Pete?” Drew asked sarcastically I almost got triggered.
“Well, that is possible! Pete is a CEO remember?” Kellen replied, not noticing the sarcasm in Drew’s voice or ignoring it.
“But she’s part of the plans for the company. Why did she leave without saying anything?” Kip sounded irritated.
“We’ll never know until we get to talk to her,” Homme responded, tapping Kip’s shoulder.
Roj then turned to me, “Why are you late?”
I looked up to him and smiled lazily, “Sorry, I went to sleep late,” I replied casually and they didn’t ask anything more.
When they head back to their tables, my phone rang. Auntie Tori’s calling so I slipped into the restroom before answering the call.
She informed me that Lemon already left for France. She said Lemon wanted me to know she was ok and that she was thanking me for saving her. She also said that Lemon will call me once she’s settled.
“Alright, Auntie, thanks too! I’ll just wait for her call,” then I pressed the red button. I stayed inside for several seconds but when I came out, I was surprised to see everyone right outside the door.
“So you knew?” Kellen asked and since I can’t deny facts and Lemon’s already left, I nodded at her.
"What happened?" Kip asked before placing a hand over my shoulder and leading me to the nearest desk.
I let out a heavy sigh, ‘Sorry Partner, I can’t escape this anymore!’ I looked at them one by one and they were all waiting for me to talk. ‘This is it, no turning back.’
"I rushed her to the hospital last night,” I started and they gasped. Shock registered on all their faces and Kellen even covered her mouth.
"Again?! Why? What happened?" Kip asked hurriedly and I started narrating everything.
"Shit, good thing you’re there!” Kip exclaimed. “Then? Why did she end up at the hospital?"
"She fainted. When I carried her, she was cold, maybe because of anger. Then she fainted so I called an ambulance. On our way to the hospital, I saw scratches on her cheek and lips. Then I called her parents when we arrived.”
“Why didn’t you let us know?” Homme asked.
I shook my head before sighing, "Partner asked me not to tell anyone,” and their world seemed to have stopped.
“Why? We’re her friends too!” Kale snapped as he starts crying.
“I don’t know too,” I replied calmly. “Maybe there are things she doesn’t want us to know about. She probably doesn’t want me to know too, I only found out about it accidentally anyway,” and I paused for several seconds, unsure whether I should say more or not.
“Like what?” Kellen asked, tears are starting to well in her eyes.
"That she’s pregnant…" and yet again, their world stopped. "She's almost 2 months pregnant."
“Pete was quick!” Roj exclaimed but we were all surprised when Drew stood up and stormed out of the office.
“Where are you going?” Kip called to him.
"I need to see her parents,” he replied without looking back.
And since we’re certified gossipmongers, we go with him. Roj, Kale, and me rode his car, while Kellen and Homme rode Kip’s car.
♫ Drew ♫
"Why are you guys here?" with her forehead creased, Aunt Tori greeted us before exchanging glances with Encule Ed. After a while, my parents showed up from behind with my brother.
"Auntie, I told them…” Kevz confessed and the couple nodded.
“Get inside,” Uncle Ed instructed and we quickly followed.
“Dad, why are you here?” I asked as soon as we sat down on the couch.
“We’re talking about sending David to France to accompany Lemon,” he responded.
“Why him? Why does Leslie need someone else when Pete’s with her?” I asked, confused. The rest of the guys are just listening quietly.
“Why would Pete accompany her when they’re not even related?” says my father.
“Isn’t Pete her boyfriend?” Kale butted in and Uncle Ed cleared his throat.
Aunt Tori took that as a signal and faced us, “We just found out it’s not true,” she stated and that gave me chills.
If Pete’s not her real boyfriend, that means something can’t happen between the two of them, unless she’s raped. That means…
“I called the police last night. I left Lemon with Victoria so we could investigate. We requested the CCTV of the fourth floor and there we saw what that girl did to my daughter. Thank God Kevin came or who knows what could’ve happened to her and my grandchild.” Uncle Ed narrated, trying to sound calm even if his voice was about to break. “We found her phone in her room. It was unlocked and Kevz is the last person she talked to so I took it back to the hospital. Tori checked her messages and that’s how we found out about Lemon and Pete.”
"They talked about putting a fake relationship status, actually it was Lemon who asked Pete for the favor, and Pete being a friend, agreed. Lemon told him that she’s doing that so you would stop pursuing her and that she wants to avoid you because she saw you and Nica again,” Aunt Tori informed us.
All eyes turned on me and I felt like I shrunk. “Nica indeed went to our house, even my parents know that. But she came to apologize and that was it.”
"But Partner saw you and she must have misunderstood," Kevz interrupted and all eyes turned on him. "That day, I saw Lemon right outside your house. That was the day Aunt Letty was rushed to the hospital. That was when she saw you and Nica.”
"Yes, she saw Drew holding hands with her and hugging each other,” David added. "I saw everything, I was at the top of the stairs. I wanted to run to her but I was too late. She already saw what she’s not supposed to see and she left right away.”
I clapped my forehead out of frustration. ‘Why are they only telling me this now? Why didn’t they tell me anything about this that same day? I could’ve explained things to Leslie!’
"Did something happen between the two of you Drew? " Uncle Ed asked frankly and without hesitation. I nodded. "When was that?"
"About two months ago, after our last gig.”
"Then you must be the father," Aunt Tori stated and the supporting actors gasped when they heard that.
"But you don't deserve her, not Leslie Monica and not my grandchild," Mom finally spoke and those were the first words that came out of her mouth. "If I'm Lemon, I won't even let you see my child," she added before rolling her eyes at me.
"After all the stupid things you did, you don't deserve them. I'm really sorry to say this to you son, but if I were Tori and Ed, I won't even let you come near Lemon," dad said.
From my peripheral view, I can see Kevz nodding incessantly. ‘I thought he was my friend? Why does he seem to be BFFs with my father?’
I leaned on the couch, frustrated. “Is that what Leslie said too that’s why she didn’t tell me? Is that her plan too? For me not to see my son?”
"Actually, we only found out she's pregnant when the doctor told us about her situation last night. Then Kevz told us that she saw him at an OB clinic and I knew it was a friend so I called her. She told me that Lemon asked her not to tell us about her pregnancy. That means she hid it from everyone,” Aunt Torie explained.
“Or maybe she wants to tell you but she didn’t have the chance,” Kellen told me before turning to our friends. “Remember the day Nica went to the studio? I noticed that she keeps looking at Drew as if she was waiting for him to look at her. But then Nica caused trouble.”
“That’s possible too,” Aunt Tori chimed in. "When we talked to her last night, she told us she's leaving because she wants to protect her baby. She said she doesn’t want her child to be dragged into the mess.”
They all sighed but my world stopped. She wanted to protect our child from the trouble I brought upon her, upon them.
If I don’t fix this trouble, I’ll be at a loss. I’ll be miserable. And so without second thoughts, I stood up and turned my back, leaving all of them behind.
"Where are you going son?" dad asked.
"I'm filing a case against Nica," I responded without looking back.